Police Chief To Attend Tuesday School Board Meeting

By Amanda Falcone

Like many other communities throughout the country, Enfield is talking about school safety.

The school board is scheduled to meet on Tuesday and has revised its agenda in light of Friday's shooting in Newtown. Instead of discussing the superintendent's evaluation during executive session, the board will talk with Police Chief Carl Sferrazza and other police department representatives about school security. It will also field questions from concerned residents.

"We're just trying to make ourselves available," said board Chairman Tim Neville.

Neville said the board plans to talk to police officers about specific safety procedures already in place in Enfield schools. Both the board members and members of the public will be able to ask questions, he said.

"We're all just overwhelmed by what's going on," Neville said.

For his part, school Superintendent Jeffrey Schumann vowed to make Monday as normal as possible for students.

In a message to parents, Schumann said school staff wouldn't initiate discussions about Friday's shooting. Teachers, however, would be ready to acknowledge the tragedy, and they will reassure students and their families that safety is the first priority, he said.

Just as they would during normal school days, Schumann said students and staff will continue to observe moments of silence. Those moments of silence will not be dedicated to Newtown's shooting victims, he said.

Schumann also said there will be an increased police presence at Enfield schools this week.

He couldn't be reached for further comment Monday.

Tuesday's school board meeting begins at 7 p.m. and will be held at town hall, 820 Enfield St.

Neville said it's too early to say what changes, if any, will be made to the district's safety procedures, but he said the school board will be reviewing all of its emergency procedures to ensure that it is doing all of can to keep students safe. The board also needs to make sure existing procedures and polcies are enforced, he said.